A Handbook of the Boer War eBook

De Wet, who had been lying low for some months, was
roused by a certain communication from Botha as well
as by action taken against him by Lord Kitchener.
A carefully devised and accurately carried out centripetal
drive of fourteen columns converging, like meridian
lines on the Pole, on a certain point ten miles N.E.
of Reitz, was abortive. When the columns reached
it on November 12 they found that the enemy had wriggled
through the intervals, leaving scarcely a burgher at
the place of meeting; and while they were blankly
staring at each other, De Wet at Blijdschap, only
twenty miles away, was in conference with Steyn and
discussing with him a suggestion made by Botha that
peace negotiations with Lord Kitchener should be opened.

To this an answer similar to that which had been given
to Botha in May was returned. De Wet and Steyn
scouted the idea of reconciliation with the enemy.
A Council of War was summoned and a concentration of
burghers ordered. By the end of November De Wet
had collected at Blijdschap a force of 1,000 men undetected
by Elliott’s columns, which, having taken part
in the centripetal failure, were again on the move
after a brief rest at Harrismith. Elliott, while
on the march to Kroonstad, actually brushed past De
Wet.

A column under Rimington then came upon the scene.
He had heard of the Council of War from a captured
Boer, who probably with intent refrained from reporting
the concentration. Thus when Rimington expected
that the easy task before him was the capture of De
Wet and Steyn and the units of a Council of War, he
suddenly found himself opposed by a considerable force,
a detachment of which passed by him and attacked his
train in rear. After an encounter in which a
gallant young cavalry subaltern,[61] who but a few
weeks before had joined the Inniskilling Dragoons from
the Militia, laid down his life for his country, Rimington
extricated his convoy, but refrained from attacking
De Wet’s main body, which was reported to be
strong.

Each side thereupon withdrew, Rimington to Heilbron
and De Wet to Lindley, from which he found it advisable
to retire on coming into contact with a column forming
part of another Elliott drive, the second of the series,
suggested by Rimington on his return to Heilbron.
De Wet then trekked towards Bethlehem, halting at
Kaffir Kop, where, nine days later, he foiled a third
Elliott drive by promptly dispersing his burghers,
who soon reassembled on a range of hills beyond Bethlehem.

Elliott’s units then returned to their respective
bases to refit. A column under Dartnell at Bethlehem,
which had recently been reinforced from Rundle’s
command by a strong detachment under Barrington Campbell,
was on the point of returning to Harrismith, when it
was informed that De Wet’s re-united commandos
were lying in wait at a spruit about twenty miles
out on the road to Harrismith. Dartnell marched
on and maintained himself without much difficulty
when he arrived at the spruit. Campbell came
up, and De Wet’s commandos withdrew without orders;
but no attempt was made to convert their retirement
into a rout. Dartnell continued his march to
Harrismith.